Car coupler



Pateaied Jan.14,1941 y '2,228,357

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CAR OOUILER Ernst A. Larsson, Mansfield, Ohio, assignor to The v Ohio Brass Company, Manseld, Ohio, a corporation of New Jersey Application February 24, 1938, Serial No. 192,290

3 Claims. (Cl. 213-175) My invention relates to car couplers for mejecting wings or lugs 9 which are normally spaced chanically connecting cars and is especially from the end face I of the member 6 but which adapted for cars such as are used in mines and engage with the face of the member 6 when the about industrial institutions where it is not especouplers are placed under sufficient compression. cially desired to reverse the cars end for end,but The amount of movement .allowed isl such that where the cars are usually positioned in a certain the spring 5 will not be compressed to its limit, relation to each other and which position is thus the spring is protected against over commaintained. pression.

When it is desirable to switch the cars end for The member 6 is normally placed in contact l" end frequently, then an automatic coupler in with the shoulder 6 on the body 3, thus allstrainfl4 which the heads are duplicates should be used. upon the bolts 1 is prevented Awhen the parts- 2 My invention resides in the new and novel conand 3 are placed under maximum compression. struction, combination and relation of the various The member 2 is, also, provided with a shoulder parts illustrated and disclosed in the accom- II which is normallyspaced from the shoulder 8 1" panying drawing, in whichof the member 6, but which contacts with the'lgb Fig. 1 is a top'view of one head of my coupler. shoulder 8 when the couplers are placed under Fig. 2 is a Itop view of another head of my sufficient tension but the movement permitted is coupler to couple with the head shown in Fig. 1. not suiiicient to compress the spring 5 to its limit, Fig. 3 is a side view of Fig. 1.' therefore, the spring 5 is' protected against over Fig. 4 is a side view of Fig. 2. compression. .f Fig. 5 is a face view of Fig. 1. The inner end of the member 2 is provided with y Fig. 6 is an enlarged view in longitudinal para sleeve I2 secured in place by the rivet or other tial section of the head shown in Fig. 1 and dismeans I3. The sleeve I2 eng-ages with one end of closes the spring draft gear and normal relation the spring 5 .and the spacing between the sleeve of the parts thereof. I I2 and the shoulder I4 on the member 2 is equal- 2,5

Fig. '7 is a View in longitudinal'partial section to the distance between the shoulder 4 onthe of portions of two coupled heads to-show the remember 2 and the shoulder I5 on the member 6 lation of the locking portions when in a locked and the spacing is such thatwhen the par-ts are position and under slight tension.- assembled the spring 5 will be compressed to :a

30, Fig. 8 is a view in longitudinal partial section predetermined value and under normal condi-l 30 vof parts of two coupled heads showing the relations, that is, when there is no compression or tion of the locking portions when the faces of the tension of the heads A and B rela-tive to each heads are under compression. other, will maintain a separation between the Fig. 9 shows a View in partial longitudinal secparts 9 and I0 and the parts 8 and II.

tion of the rear end portion of the spring draft The front end of the coupler head A is pro- 35 gear when the same is under tension and the vided with a rectangular recess IB having an enspring compressed -to its predetermined limit. larged opening forming a so-called bell shaped In the preferred embodiment of my invention, mouth with bevelledv faces I8 which assist in au- I make use of two heads A and B adapted to cotomatically gathering and centering the projectoperate with each other and which are secured to ing pin Il on the companion head B. f 40 the ends of the cars by means of the member I The upper wall of the vhead A adjacent the which is secured to the tail piece 2. front end thereof is provided with a slot I9 to The coupler head A is provided with a hollow receive `the pivotally mounted locking latch 20. body member 3 and the coupler B is provid-ed Projecting upwardly from the upper wall of the 4i) with a body member 3 and positioned within head A are spaced lugs 2l having registering 45 each member 3 and 3 is a shoulder 4 against through openings to receive the pin 22 for holdwhich the draft spring` 5 rests. The rear ends ing the latch` 20 in .position and upon which the of the hollow bodies 3 and 3 are provided with latch pivots. Thelatch is on an uncoupled head closure means comprising a sleeve 6 which may held in its lockedpositionby means of the spring be of one piece or split and held in position by assembly 23 and is moved by the spring to its 50 rivets, bolts, or other means 'I. Each part of the locking position when two heads are moved to a split means 6 is provided with a shoulder 8. The coupled position. tail piece 2 extends through the member 6 and is The latch 20 is provided with a lifting arm 24 guided thereby. having a iing'er catch 25, and a projecting arm 26 The draft gear member 2 is provided with proprovided With a cam face 2l to engage the face 55 28 on the projecting portion Il of the cooperatinsr head B.

I have found that it is very essential to so construct and arrange the cam faces 21 and 28 relative to each other and also 4their cooperation that jar and vibration and relative movement will not tend to cause the latch to creep to the open position as is the case under many conditions where a latch with a cam face is used. In prior constructions using cams the effective portions of the faces 21 and 28 would be so formed and so ree lated that when the latch 20 is moved to its closed position, the result would be to force the faces 29 and 3i) of the heads A and B into engagement as shown in Fig. 8 or to merely hold the faces in engagement as in .the case of Paten-t 1,- 609,444, but as just stated, I nd that a latch with a cam operating in that manner has a tendency to creep to its open position allowing the heads to separate even though a spring may be used in an attempt to hold the latch in its locking posi tion. By effective I mean those portions of the bearing faces in engagement.

I, therefore, so construct and relate the effective bearing faces 21 andl 2B that the tendency will be for the latch to move or creep further to its locking position or remain in its locking position under operation and this would be in addition to the tendency of the spring 23 to hold the latch in the locking position. To bring about this condition, all radiiof the face 27 and of the face 28 are normal to such faces and emanate from points along a common axis X when the coupler faces 29 and 30 abut, and which axis is spaced from the pivotal axis Y of the latch 23 but preferably located within the circumferencev of the pin 22 and parallel to the axis Y.

This relative arrangement of the said axes produces a moment tending to rotate the latch about its axis of rotation in its locking direction when the bearing faces are under draft.

In Figs. 6I and 8 the axis X is shown below and to the left of the pivotal center Y but within the cross-section'area of the pin 22 and with the radii C and D emanating from a point along the axis X. In Fig. 8`th-e surfaces 29 and 33 of the headsV A and B are in an abutting relation but when the heads are under tension with the latch 23 in locking position the faces 21 and 2B will contact as shown in Fig. '7, but the faces 29 and Stof the heads A and B will be spaced.

When the couplers are in coupled relation as shown in Fig. 7 and forces applied to the latch 29 tending to move it to its unlocked position either manually or through creepage the latch will tend to pivot about the axis Y but the axis X of the face 2l of the latch will tend to move on a circle 3| the center of which is axis Y, therefore, it will be evident that the tip 32 of the latch 20 will tend to move along a path represented by the dotted line 33, the radius of which is E (Fig. 8), and the tendency therefore will be, when the faces 21 and 28 are in contact as in Fig. '7, to force the heads A and B in closer coupled relation, thus eliminating the space between the faces 23 and 33. The result of the above construction will be for the lock to move more to the locking position and not to the unlocking position under normal operation.

It will be noted in Fig. 8 that when the faces 29 and 30 contact that the point 32 on the cam face 21 will just miss engagement with the upper edge of the cam face 28 when the latch is movedy to its open and closed positions.

What has been described with respect to the movement of the point 32 on the cam face 28 is also true of other points on the cam face 2l, that is, they Will follow an arc of a circle emanating from the center Y.

In my construction I have sacried the socalled tight-lock feature in which the faces 23 and 33 would engage thus preventing slack, for the more important feature of safely coupled heads under normal operation.

I find that by forming the faces 2f 'and 28 as previously explained with the axis X not too far spaced from the axis Y that the heads will not have a detrimental amount of slack, but with my improved construction it is necessary to have sufficient slack to permit the point 32 on the cam tov clear the tongue il on the other head as my construction produces an actual interlock of the latch and tongue ll when the heads are under draft and the greater the distance between the axes X and Y in substantially the direction shown the greater the interlock will be and hence the greater slack required to permit movement of the latch in coupling and uncoupling and, also, greater will be the resistance to uncoupling.

The rectangular portion 34 of the head B oorresponds to the rectangular opening i6 of the head A and is made a reasonably easy sliding fit therewith or with a small clearance so as to eliminate to a reasonable degree relative transverse movement of the heads A and B and twisting motion.

It willv be evident that when it is desired to intentionally unoouple the heads that the faces 23 and 33 should be in Contact as shown in Fig. 8 or substantially so in order to easily operate the latch 2s to its unlocking position other-Wise if the pull in tension upon the coupler heads is sufficient it may be impossible to move the latch 2E! to the uncoupling position.

It is not necessary that the faces 29 and 33 shoulde engage, as other means for preventing relative longitudinal movement of the heads beyond a predetermined point under compression forces may loe used.

While I have shown the radii C and D as having a common center, the center of radius D* may be the center Y but the center of radius C' should be so spaced from center Y as to effect a clamping tendency when the latch 2S tends to move to its unlatching position.

Modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art; therefore, I wish to be limited only by my claims.

I claim:

1. A car coupler comprising a pair of heads, each head comprising a body, means on each head to attach, it to a oar end, one head having a rectangular opening at the front end of the body and the other end having a projecting tongue to enter the said opening, the tongue having substantially the same cross-sectional shape and size as that of the opening to prevent relative transverse and rotational movement of the heads, the said opening having a flaring mouth for gathering in the said tongue, the tongue provided with a notch having an extended bearing face, a latch associated with the body of the first said head and a transversely disposed pin associated with the body and upon which the latch is pivotally mounted, the latch pro-vided with a lug projecting through an opening provided in the wall of the body and into the said opening therein, the said lug having an extended bearing face to engage with the first said bearing face to hold the heads in coupled relation, the said bearing faces being formed in the arc of a circle having a common axis of curvature, the axis of curvature of the bearing faces being spaced from the pivotal axis of the pin a distance not greater than the radius of the said pin and extending parallel to the axis thereof, intermediate the pivotal axis and the longitudinal axis of the coupler heads and forward of the pivotal axis whereby when the heads are in draft the bearing face on the latch will be in engagement with the bearing face on the companion head and subject to a locking moment preventing the latch moving to its unlocking position about the pivotal axis, the bearing faces being spaced apart when the heads are in buif whereby the latch is manually movable into and out of its locking position without engaging the bearing face of the said notch, further when the heads are in draft the latch will tend to automatically move in the direction of its locking position.

2t A car coupler comprising a pair of cooperating heads of different construction, each head comprising a body having means to attach the body to a car end, one head having an opening at its forward end and the other head having a projection adapted to enter the opening, each head having a bufling face adapted to contact with the face on the cooperating head, means to prevent the coupler heads rotating relative to each other and to prevent relative transverse movement of the heads, the said projection provided with a notch having an arcuate bearing face, a latch associated with the body of the cooperating head and having an arcuate bearing face to cooperate With the bearing face of the notch on the said projection to hold the couplers in coupled relation while under draft, a pin associated with the said cooperating head and upon which the latch is pivotally mounted, the radii of the bearing faces having a common axis which extends longitudinally through the pin at a point between the pivotal axis of the pin and the central longitudinal axis of the heads and spaced from and parallel to the pivotal axis of the said pin whereby the pulling forces between the bearing faces when the heads are in draft will be centered along the axis of curvature and thereby create a turning movement tending to rotate the latch in its locking direction about its pivotal axis.

3. A car coupler comprising a pair of coupling heads of different construction, each head comprising a body having means at one end to attach it to a car body, one head having at the other end an opening and the other head having at its other end a projection adapted to enter the opening, each head having a bumping face adapted to contact with the face of the mating coupler when the heads are brought together in buff, means to prevent the coupler heads rotating relative to each other, the said projection provided with transverse means having an arcuate bearing face of extended area, a latch pivoted on the body of the said mating head and having an arcuate bearing face of extended area arranged to cooperate with the other bearing face to hold the couplers in coupled relation, the said bearing faces being spaced apart when the bumper faces are together and thebumper faces spaced when the bearing faces are in engagement, the radii of the bearing faces having a common axis of curvature which is spaced from and parallel to the pivotal axis of the latch and the said axis of curvature positioned intermediate the pivotal axis and the central longitudinal axis of the heads and toward the front end of the head on which the latch is mounted relative to the pivotal axis intermediate the said face and the pivotal axis whereby turning moments will be effected tending to move the latch in the direction of its locking position when the heads are in draft and yielding means to move the latch to its locking position when the heads are in buff.

ERNST A. LARSSON. 

